The city of Basel is a traditional Swiss bridgehead on River Rhine. A couple
of bridges connects Grossbasel (south) and Kleinbasel (north). There are also
four little ferry boats, operated for tourists' fun only, however.

Between the cathedral and the right shore there is a traditional passenger ferry boat.
Access from the right shore is relatively easy from Oberer Rheinweg, while you have to
descend (or mount) a couple of steep stairs on the Cathedral / Pfalz side.

Münsterfähre Rhine Ferry Boat

How to get there

Schwarzwaldbrücke [Black Forest Bridge]
and River Birs flowing into River Rhine.
Schwarzwald bridge combines a 4-lane motorway, a local highway and a doubletrack railway bridge.
A second double track railway bridge is being planned.
Traffic is mainly from and to Germany as the bridge is located at the city's east end.

The bridge as well as Wettstein place on the right shore are named after Basel's mayor
Johann Rudolf Wettstein (1594 - 1666). Wettstein represented Switzerland at
the 1648 peace conference following the great European war. Thanks to Wettstein,
Switzerland reached international recognition as an independent nation in this treaty
after 150 years of de facto independence from the German empire following the
Swabian war in 1499.

Mittlere Brücke is Basel's oldest bridge connecting the medieval parts of
Grossbasel [greater Basel] on the left shore and Kleinbasel
[smaller Basel] on the right shore. Passing under this bridge is a real challenge
for freight ships and captains without a special local license have to hire a
local pilot for the passage.

Another ferry boat connects the left shore medieval St. Alban-Vorstadt district
(St. Alban Rheinweg) with the right shore (Schaffhauser Rheinweg / Fischerweg).
Access to this ferry boat is easy from both sides.

St. Alban Rhine Ferry Boat
All four Rhine ferries are based on the same principle:
the ferry boats are guided by a fixed steel rope over the river
while the rudder decides on the direction the flowing water will drive the boat.

How to get there

Tram 2 stop Kunstmuseum (left shore)
Stroll down Sankt-Alban-Vorstadt street and Mülenberg to Sankt-Alban-Rheinweg and go
a little upstream. Of course you might also follow Sankt-Alban-Vorstadt street almost
to its end, turn left to Sankt-Alban-Kirchrain and then right to Sankt Alban Tal down
to the River discovering the charming medieval St. Alban Vorstadt district.

On the right shore, stroll downstream on Schaffhauser Rheinweg to Wettsteinplatz, turn
right to Theodorsgraben to reach Wettsteinplatz tram stop.
Alternatively you might follow Schaffhauser Rheinweg upstream, then turn left into
Stachelrain and Peter Rot Strasse, then right again to Grenzacherstrasse leading you
straight to the Jean Tinguely Museum.

Two more ferry boats are located between Mittlere Brücke and Johanniterbrücke
(Klingentalfähre) and between Johanniterbrücke and Dreirosenbrücke
(St. Johann ferry).
Access to these ferry boats is easy from both sides.